Bodies of water near populated areas are commonly subject to pollution from both chemical and solid waste. Considerable effort has been addressed to the removal of oil slicks or other chemical films that float on the water surface. Among such efforts are the floating weirs of McHugh, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,458 issued Sep. 20, 1983) and Wessels (U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,592 issued Feb. 7, 1989). Both of these systems are remote from the pumping unit, being connected by a suction hose, and are similar to well-known pool cleaners. Another system is that of Shubert (U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,833, issued Jul. 22, 1986) which is a floating trough for removal of effluent fluid at a predetermined level beneath the surface of the water. While advances have been addressed to liquid separation, solid waste is still primarily dealt with by manually collecting the debris with nets.
Solid waste and chemical contaminants in bodies of water are frequently found in marinas and harbors, where natural flow patterns are modified by floating docks and pilings. Carelessly discarded paper and plastic containers and wrappings fall into water from boats or are blown into the water from land. Fuels, oil, and maintenance materials (cleaning solutions, solvents, etc.) used on boats are not adequately contained during and contaminate the water. Run-off from roads and parking lots from irrigation or rain create oil slicks in nearby water. Collectively, these materials pollute the water and degrade quality and aesthetics of the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,600 to the present inventor disclosed a floating apparatus that could be attached to a dock or floating platform to draw pelagic contaminants into a collection basket where it would be retained for periodic removal. While the device was highly effective in removing materials such as plastics, bottles, paper, oil sheen, and driftwood from marinas, it occasionally experienced difficulties handling large plastic bags because they tended to clog the pump, which was located at the bottom of the enclosure. In addition, the large amounts of trash could become so compacted that the pump would clog. One attempted solution involved moving the pump away from the center bottom of the enclosure and the use of hoses to direct the pump suction to the center bottom, underneath a grating that captured the debris. This approach experienced problems when marine life (barnacles, chitons, tube worms, etc.) accumulated in the hoses, again clogging the suction path.
Accordingly, the need exists for an effective system for removal of pelagic contaminants from bodies of water that does not suffer the drawbacks of its predecessors.